Budapest celebrates Christmas Day with several nice events. Take a look at the Dec 26 concerts and events with music in the city. Booking in advance is strongly recommended as all festive programs in the city sell out by about mid December:

Budapest Dec 26 concerts

Opera House in Budapest: the Hungarian State Opera House features its traditional Christmas ballet program on Boxing Day:

December 24, the day of Christmas Eve is one of the Christmas holidays in Budapest when most locals are all day preparing for the evening family gathering. The day of December 24 is a split day: although the morning of Dec 24 is like a busy weekday with shops open, people running last minute errands until noon or 2 pm.

Nutcracker Show in Budapest

In the afternoon the streets are starting to get visibly lacking in the Christmas crowds, and by around 4pm, when the last metros run their routes (later replaced with temporary buses), the streets of Budapest get quiet and festive.

Officially Dec 24 is not a public holiday, but practically it is from the afternoon. Several attractions (museums, shops, markets) are closed, but there are still many things to do to make Dec 24 a fantastic day. We have collected some ideas and activities for you for Dec 24 to make it a great day:

Christmas Market Morning: the main market on Vorosmarty Square will be open from 8am – 2pm on Dec 24 with some morning concerts

Baths in Budapest on December 24

The open air thermal pools give a special winter bath experience.
Instead of the usual opening hours, the baths are open for shorter hours, from approx. 8 am to 2 pm on December 24. Weekend prices are charged, queues may build up (check out the skip the line online Szechenyi Bath tickets)

Gellert Spa – open on December 24 until 2 pm (based on previous years’ opening hours).

Instead of the usual opening hours, the baths are open for shorter hours, from approx. 8 am to 2 pm on December 24. Weekend prices are charged (Gellert Spa Tickets)

Lukacs Baths – open on December 24 until 2 pm (based on previous years’ opening hours).

December Bath Party Szechenyi Spa Baths

The open air thermal pools give a special winter bath experience.
Instead of the usual opening hours, the baths are open for shorter hours, from approx. 8 am to 2 pm on December 24.
There is free entrance to Lukacs thermal bath with Budapest Card (day time only, not valid for the Magic Bath Parties)

Christmas Panorama in Budapest

Budapest Fisherman’s Bastion in Winter – Kofahu Photography

Fisherman’s Bastion is a perfect place to take in the beautiful winter views of the UNESCO World Heritage sights in Budapest. The bastion is an open lookout tower with open and roofed terraces and walls. Only the upper towers have coin operated turnstiles, so you can practically see the sights free of charge, even on December 24.

Citadel on the top of Gellert Hill has also open, free spaces, which provide excellent views over the city. It takes about 15 minutes to get to the top of the hill. The uphill walk for an average person in good physical condition should not be a problem (wear comfortable shoes). Note: the bus timetable on Dec 24 shows infrequent buses.

Christmas Tram in Budapest: usually the Christmas tram (Fenyvillamos in Hungarian) does not run on Dec 24 and Dec 31 evening, but you can take a Christmas ride on December 25 or December 26. Schedules of the Christmas Streetcar are usually published in early December.

For winter walks in the city, put on warm clothes, boots and hat.

Concerts & Shows in Budapest

Nutcracker in Hungarian Opera House at Budapest Christmas

There are some nice concerts on Dec 25 in Budapest. The classical concerts have already been scheduled, light music concerts are typically scheduled later, in early or mid December.
11 am – 13:45 pm, Dec 24: Nutcracker Ballet Show in the Budapest Opera House

6 pm – 8 pm Dec 24: As part of the Christmas Eve night river cruise with Buffet Dinner, you can listen to live concert played by a Hungarian Gypsy Band on the Budapest Christmas Eve Cruise.

6 pm – Dec 24 offers a nice Classical Music concert in the Inner City St Anne’s Church on Szervita Square, District V in Budapest’s city centre. The Christmas Eve Concert will feature Bach, Handel, Vivaldi, Gounod, Albinoni, Schubert pieces. If you want to go on celebrating, you may take the Christmas Eve cruise starting at 9 pm:

9 pm – 11 pm Dec 24: As part of the Christmas Eve night river cruise with Buffet Dinner, you can listen to live concert played by a Hungarian Gypsy Band on the Budapest Christmas Eve Cruise.

The list is continuously updated, so please check back later for further ideas.

Dec 24 Midnight Masses in Budapest

Participate in the Midnight Mass in Budapest in St Stephen’s Basilica or Matthias Church, two of the outstanding churches (there are many beautiful churches in Budapest!). Christmas music and spirit will fill the century old halls of the churches. Join the locals to celebrate the Eve together.

Budapest St Stephen Basilica Mass – Philippe Clabots Photography

Christmas Cruise in Budapest on December 24

Budapest Chain Bridge in Snow – Mispahn Photography

The early sunset on Dec 24 is around 4 pm, so you can practically see the night lights from both Christmas Eve cruises on the Danube. There are much fewer cruises in winter in Budapest, and the seats are absolutely booked up for the Christmas holiday (Dec 24 – Dec 26). Book in advance while you can.

Parks in Budapest in Winter

Budapest Vajdahunyad Castle in Winter – Quintanaroo Photography

There are two beautiful parks worth visiting in December in Budapest, if you have a pair of comfortable waterproof shoes. One of them is the City Park with several open air attractions to look at, and the other one is the island in the Danube, between Buda and Pest called Margaret Island. Both are open parks, without fences, open on Dec 24.

The City Park is the home of special sights, like the 19th century Vajdahunyad Castle: the castle itself is closed on Dec 24, but the gates to the courts are not. Take a look around, walk on the grounds, see the hooded statue of the Hungarian chronicler, Anonymous or the bust of Bela Lugosi, Dracula actor. Opposite the Castle, you can see the Ice Rink Palace (the Ice Rink might be open on Dec 24 in the morning hours). These sights are a minute only from the Hungarian Millennium Monument on Heroes’ Square, you may already be familiar with from Budapest guide books.

Margaret Island may not have castles just ruins, but if you love nature in winter, it is a nice and romantic place to feel the fresh air and tranquility.

The entry to Margaret Island is free, the park is open in winter too.

Margaret Island Winter Budapest – Viztorony Photography (Indaphoto)

City Park in Winter – Istvan Csuhai Photography

Closed Attractions in Budapest on Dec 24

Museums, galleries, Christmas markets, shops are often closed on Christmas Eve day (Dec 24). Also, many tours in Budapest are cancelled on this day.

The list of closed attractions in Budapest is incomplete, please inquire at the contact emails / phone numbers of each attraction, as planning ahead in winter Budapest is wise to avoid getting cold / catching cold.

December 25, Christmas Day is one of the Christmas holidays in Budapest when several attractions (museums, shops, markets) are closed, making it a bit of a challenge to plan a great day. We have collected some ideas and activities for you for Dec 25 to make it a great day:

Baths in Budapest on December 25

The open air thermal pools give a special winter bath experience.
Instead of the usual opening hours, the baths are open for shorter hours, from approx. 8 am to 8 pm. Weekend prices are charged, queues may build up (Szechenyi Bath tickets)

The open air thermal pools give a special winter bath experience.
Instead of the usual opening hours, the baths are open for shorter hours, from approx. 8 am to 8 pm.
There is free entrance to Lukacs thermal bath with Budapest Card.

Winter Views in Budapest

Budapest Fisherman’s Bastion Winter – Philippe Clabots Photography

Fisherman’s Bastion is a perfect place to take in the beautiful winter views of the UNESCO World Heritage sights in Budapest. The bastion is an open lookout tower with open and roofed terraces and walls. Only the upper towers have coin operated turnstiles, so you can practically see the sights free of charge. There is a beautiful restaurant inside Fisherman’s Bastion, but it is closed on Dec 25.

Citadel on the top of Gellert Hill has also open, free spaces, which provide excellent views over the city. It takes about 15 minutes to get to the top of the hill. The uphill walk for an average person in good physical condition should not be a problem (wear comfortable shoes). Note: the bus timetable on Dec 25 shows less frequent buses.

Christmas Tram in Budapest: every year there is a nicely decorated Christmas streetcar / tram running along by the riverside in Budapest. Schedules have not been updated for this year yet, but Tram 19 on the Buda side (Batthyany Square) will likely take passengers on an afternoon Christmas ride on December 25.

Christmas Cruise in Budapest on December 25

Budapest Winter Danube

The early sunset on Dec 25 is around 4 pm, so you can practically see the night lights from a late afternoon cruise on the Danube. There are much fewer cruises in winter in Budapest, and the seats are easily booked up for Dec 25. Reserve in advance while you can. Dinner cruises on the Danube in Budapest are especially popular

Parks in Budapest in Winter

Budapest Vajdahunyad Castle in Winter – Quintanaroo Photography

There are two beautiful parks worth visiting in winter Budapest. One of them is the City Park with several open air attractions to look at, and the other one is the island between Buda and Pest, Margaret Island. Both are open parks, without fences.

The City Park is the home of special sights, like the Vajdahunyad Castle: the castle is closed on Dec 25, but the gates are not. Take a look around, walk on the grounds, see the beautiful hooded statue of the Hungarian chronicler called Anonymous. Opposite the Vajdahunyad Castle, you can see the Ice Rink Palace (the Ice Rink might be open on Dec 25). These sights are a minute only from the Hungarian Millennium Monument on Heroes’ Square, you may already be familiar with from

Margaret Island may not have castles just ruins, but if you love nature in winter, it is a nice and romantic place to feel the fresh air and tranquility.

The entry to Margaret Island is free, the park is open in winter too.

City Park Winter Budapest – Istvan Csuhai Photography

City Park in Winter – Istvan Csuhai Photography

Closed Attractions in Budapest on Dec 25

Museums, galleries, Christmas markets, shops are closed on Christmas Day (Dec 25). Many tours in Budapest are cancelled on this day.